December 6, 2023
Resetting the Landlord Relationship 12:00 PM-2:00 PM
Landlord engagement was never easy, and coming off the heels of the pandemic, many housing
assistance providers are struggling to find and maintain landlord partners. Join us as we discuss
the current challenges and opportunities in landlord outreach, identify the needs and wants of
landlords through quantitative metrics, and learn how to speak the language of landlords to
revamp your landlord outreach efforts going into 2024.

Matthew Heckles Regional Administrator – HUD Region 3

Gale Schwartz Associate Director, Policy and Programs Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
Patrick Thomas Corporate Banker First Commonwealth Bank

The Current LIHTC Market December 6, 2023, 12:00 PM-2:00 PMET
Join experts for an insightful session on the evolving LIHTC syndication/investment market,
exploring critical factors reshaping the industry. Timely issues such as rising construction costs,
gaps in funding, high-interest rates, and escalating insurance premiums will be explored.
Further, speakers will discuss money/state credit to fill gaps, increasing diversity in development
processes, and 45L, Solar, and Energy Credits as new gap sources. Keeping a close eye on
developments in Washington, the panel will dive into policy changes that could significantly
impact the market. By addressing these critical topics and more, the audience will walk away
with valuable insights and solutions to navigate the complexities of the LIHTC
syndication/investment market effectively.

Lindsay Soyka | Executive Vice President | R4 Capital
Chris Paul | President and Principal | Diamond and Associates
Karen Harris | CohnReznick LLP

Possibilities and Pitfalls of Converting Office and Other Structures into Affordable
Housing
December 6, 2023 2:30 PM-3:45 PMET
Office vacancies continue to rise as pre-pandemic leases come up for renewal. Many nonprofits
have excess real estate holdings. Often, these vacant offices and holdings are ideally located
for access to education, transportation, and employment. This is a unique opportunity for
conversion to affordable housing and for mission-driven organizations to partner with developers
and government agencies. Conversion to affordable housing can also prevent
underutilized/empty structures from becoming blighting influences. Audience members of all
levels of experience will benefit from this panel discussion that will focus on successful
real-world examples of developers, nonprofits, and government agencies partnering to create
affordable housing.

Michelle R. Yarbrough Korb | Shareholder | Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC
Derrick Tillman | President & CEO

WHF-PA Wednesday Forum
December 6, 2023 2:30 PM-3:45 PMET
Women in Housing and Finance Pennsylvania (WHF-PA) is bringing its most popular
event to Homes Within Reach! WHF-PA Wednesday is a monthly forum for attendees to
share challenges, needs, and leads and to receive solutions, feedback, and advice from
the group. This session will invite Homes Within Reach attendees into conversation with
one another to learn from the wisdom of the crowd. Attendees will be broken up into
small groups to discuss pre-set questions and questions offered by attendees. A
WHF-PA scribe will join each group to gather insights to be shared with all attendees
after the conference.

Room: Cocoa 3
Moderator: Angela Steele | Director of Development |Stone Sherick Consulting Group
Speakers: Elaine Magil |Senior Vice President, Equity |Cinnaire
Karen Harris |Partner |CohnReznick

Let’s See What the Judge Has to Say: Partnering with the Courts
December 6, 2023 4:15 PM-5:30 PMET
The courts are critical partners in solving the eviction crisis. The courts know when a landlord is
seeking to start an eviction. They know the parties, their contact information, and the nature of
the dispute. All of this information could be part of early outreach, as soon as a lawsuit starts (or
even when someone is asking for papers to start it), to get the people connected with services
and resources. But getting a partnership going is not as easy as it seems. Join us as we discuss
with Judges who are hosting eviction diversion programs what makes their partnerships work,
lessons learned, and tips for approaching local courts to start a new partnership.

Judge Christopher Cerski | Magisterial District Court 38-1-03 | Montgomery County
Gale Schwartz | Associate Director, Policy and Programs |Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
Judge Tonya Butler | Magisterial District Court 23-3-09 |Berks County
Judge Gregory Hines |Magisterial District Court 15-1-03 | Chester County

The Wonderful World of RAD December 6, 2023, 4:15 PM-5:30 PMET
The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program has been around for a decade. What
lessons can advocates and owners of public housing learn from its practitioners? Panelists will
discuss the various types of RAD conversions, as well as best practices for maximizing rental
subsidy, joining RAD with Low Income Housing Tax Credits and other sources of capital, as well
as tenant engagement.

Justin Marshall |Project Manager | Diamond and Associates
Mark Oswanski | Vice President |Hampden Park Capital & Consulting
Toki Rehder | Senior Counsel | Business Philadelphia Housing Authority

December 7, 2023 Sessions
Demystifying Occupied Renovation Projects December 7, 2023, 10:00 AM-11:15 AMET
One important aspect of addressing the current affordable housing crisis is the preservation of
existing affordable housing stock. Funding programs are available through PHARE funding and
LIHTC to assist property managers in the long-term maintenance of their current properties.
However, the logistics and planning of an occupied renovation project can be convoluted. This
workshop will include perspectives from owners, contractors, and architects to share lessons
learned from past preservation projects, discussing all phases from the initial capital needs
assessment to relocation planning and turning the units back over to the residents.

Jacquie J Sims |President and Executive Director | The Maple Corporation
Dana Rice | Associate | CICADA Architecture/Planning, Inc.
Karla Wursthorn | Vice President, Development & Estimating | Ward Company Builders
Harry Tapia |Director of Operations | HACE CDC

Transforming Communities: Exploring the Advantages of Simultaneous ‘Triplet’ Deals
December 7, 2023 1:45 PM-3:00 PMET
No description available
Ryan Bailey |Senior Developer |Pennrose, LLC
Jaquelin Camp |Senior Associate WRT |LLC
Lindsey Samsi |Senior Developer |Pennrose, LLC.
Jacqueline Sop |Director of Operations |Delaware County Housing Aut

Powering Democracy: Nonprofits Leading the Way in Voter Engagement and Inclusion
December 7, 2023 3:30 PM-4:45 PMET
Nonprofit organizations play a pivotal role in driving voter engagement and education. Discover
why nonprofits, often trusted by the people they serve, can help navigate government mistrust
and foster civic participation. Gain valuable insights from organizations as to why nonprofits
should champion nonpartisan voter empowerment, address barriers experienced by
marginalized populations, and acquire practical strategies for seamlessly integrating voting
initiatives into the various points of service delivery. Together, let’s harness the power of
nonprofits to build an inclusive democracy where every voice is heard and every vote counts.

Jennifer Thomas |Community Engagement Manager |Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
Jennifer Santiago |Resident Services Manager |Housing Development Corporation MidAtlantic
Lynn Wackenuth | HOPE in Life Program/Property Manager | S. Greengate Commons
Westmoreland County Housing Authority
Enid Santiago | Board President | SELF
Marty Dombrowski | Assistant Director | Center for Independent Living South Central
Pennsylvania

Preservation Strategies: Approaches to Tracking, Acquisition, and Rehabilitation of our
Existing Aff December 7, 2023 3:30 PM-4:45 PMET
An unfortunate circumstance of the affordable housing industry is that at times we lose an
important affordable housing community due to a variety of reasons. As a nation, and as a
Commonwealth, we face losing critical affordable units unless there is a strong and multifaceted
focus on preservation. Topics include how some groups are tracking existing affordable housing
in Pittsburgh and the tools/next steps underway to preserve these assets, unique
predevelopment process and underwriting considerations, and how one group approaches
acquisition to enable future repositioning of affordable assets.

Cindy Picone | Vice President and Principal | Diamond and Associates, Inc.
Graciela Watrous | Acquisitions Associate | Contour Housing Partners
Margot Elton-Ratliff | Director of Development Operations | Pennrose, LLC
Matt Madia | Director of Real Estate Services | Neighborhood Allie